Barry O’Connor hails from Ireland and had hardly touched a Sherrin when he arrived at the Sydney Swans for the start of the 2020 pre-season, but that doesn’t mean a love of Australian rules football doesn’t run deep in his family.

His dad George has had a genuine passion for the sport for more than 35 years – and it was a chance encounter with Hawthorn legend Robert DiPierdomenico that ignited his zeal for the game.

When Australia toured Ireland in 1984 for the inaugural International Rules Series, George played in a hurling curtain-raiser to one of the matches.

He then hung around to see the Irish and Australians play a hybrid game combining Gaelic football and Australian rules football, before joining the hurling and International Rules Series teams for drinks.

DiPierdomenico, known by the footy world as ‘Dipper’, is one of the most colourful characters in Australian rules football folklore – and George got a taste of the larger-than-life Hawk over a beer.

“I remember one or two guys who came over from Australia and one of them was the big ‘Dipper’ from Hawthorn,” George said.

“It was a tough, tough International Rules game, but we were all very friendly after the game. We were swapping stories and ‘Dipper’ was having a great laugh. He couldn’t understand why we were running around with sticks and beating the hell out of each other. We were having a good laugh and I said, ‘Well how about we stick to hurling and you can stick to the Aussie rules?”

George has followed the Hawks ever since, cheering them on as they cleaned up premierships in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991.

DiPierdomenico played 240 games for Hawthorn in the years spanning 1975-1991 and shared the 1986 Brownlow Medal with Sydney’s Greg Williams.

George put his love of the Hawks to the test when he suited up for the 2020 Sydney Swans Guernsey Presentation and Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, presented by Volkswagen, held at The Star in February.

“I became a Hawthorn fan and now I’ve had the audacity to come out here and head along to the Guernsey Presentation,” George laughed.

“I followed Hawthorn but I followed the sport in general. When (Irishman) Tadhg Kennelly came out to play for the Swans I followed him closely. I liked to follow the Irish guys and see how they adapted to a new game. I became a Hawthorn fan because I had met ‘Dipper’, and I’d love to meet him again, but it was great to see Tadhg win the 2005 Grand Final. It was an absolute honour to see Tadhg win a premiership. Then for him to go back to Ireland and play Gaelic football and win a GAA title was just incredible."

Barry didn’t follow the AFL until last year, but he’s had a Swans guernsey ever since the age of 10.

A family friend holidayed to the harbour city and returned with a red-and-white jumper, which has even remained with him on his move to Australia.

Barry was invited to the Swans for a two-week trial in April last year and landed a two-year International Category B Rookie contract in June.

The 21-year-old, who grew up in county Wexford on Ireland’s east coast, has trained as a key defender since arriving at Sydney in October.

Barry is now more than 17,000 kilometres from home, but his dad George believes his son is ready to thrive.

“We’re very proud of the fact that he has a set of values and that he’s brought his values with him, thanks be to god,” George said.

“If he’s lucky and stays injury-free I think he could do well. If he keeps going the way he’s going – and he is very keen – I think he’s got a big future in Aussie rules.

“He’s enjoying it here, he’s not homesick, he’s really growing as a person and he gets along very well with the people at the club. He’s also very logical and rational. 

“He’s not like his father,” George laughed.